


Assistance

by orphan_account



Category: Civilization (Video Games)
Genre: Why Did I Write This?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-08
Updated: 2016-05-21
Packaged: 2018-06-01 00:03:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6493108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You're on your last legs when Washington offers to help you.</p><p>The battle's not as easy as it seemed at first. On permanent hiatus.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

You paced back and fourth across the room, arms folded over your chest, barely paying attention to the walls as they passed back and fourth through your vision. You'd been early, but there was a very big part of you that was irritated at the other leader for taking so long to get there. Fingers dug into your sleeves, eyes burning, head pulsing with a sharp throbbing that kept time with your heartbeat. The sound of the door opening drew your attention to the other side of the room, freezing you mid step. A glance at the clock told you that he was on time. Of course. He was nothing if not punctual.

You let out a slow breath, and turn to face him. He was just as you remembered. Clean outfit, bright blue, well kept hair brushed back against his scalp, expression guarded, giving away nothing. You took a step closer, jaw clenching, anger sparking at the sight of him.

"Come here to laugh, Washington?"

His arms folded behind his back, standing his ground. "Do you honestly think me so callous?"

"What, then? What could you possibly want? Trade agreement? I have nothing. No food, no money, no units, you're better off going to _Caesar._ "

You spat the word, venom lacing your tone. Wincing at the pain your own raised voice caused, you raised a hand, resting it over your eyes.

"...when was the last time you slept?" He asked.

You didn't answer. Tore your hand away and repositioned both of them behind your back, your stance mirroring his own. "What do you want?"

Several seconds passed. He watched you, studied you, and you glared back in defiance.

"We've completed the Manhattan project."

You blinked. For a moment, you weren't quite able to believe what he was saying. He did what now? So soon? You took a step back, a bark of laughter baring your teeth. Wetness dripped down your cheeks before you even realized your eyes were burning with tears. "Oh, that's just great. Fantastic! So you're going to get us before Caesar does!"

Instantly, he had his hands held up in the air, palms out. "I'm not here to start a war."

"I'll send all my units over, I'll take as many of your men with me as I can, I'll tear your army in half!"

"I am _not_ here to start a war. Listen to me."

"Then why did you call me here?"

"Just listen. Your cities have fallen. Your capital is next. His army is bigger, stronger than yours. He's encircling you as we speak. I know we've had our differences. And I'm not saying I forgive you for that mess you started with my city-state, but it does not sit well with me to watch a nation be conquered when you've not so much as raised a sword to someone outside of self defense."

You swallowed past the tightness in your throat. A feeble attempt to speak ended in a choked sound, and you looked away.

He took a step close, and when you didn't draw away, another one.

"Would you be interested in a joint declaration of friendship?" He asked, hand held out, hovering between you and him. You stared at it. "And open boarders. So I can send some units over. Just in case he gets to you before I get him to back off."

"Why would you help me?" You forced yourself to look up. To glare at him.

"As I said. I do not wish to watch you fall if I can prevent it."

With a huff, you grabbed his hand. His grip was loose, more so than it'd ever been before. Usually the man tried to break your fingers when you did this.

"I accept." You said. What other choice did you have?

"Good then." He smiled, but didn't let go. His other hand raised and brushed over your cheek, wiping some of the wetness away. "Now, I suggest you go and get some rest. You look like you haven't slept in days."

You pulled free of him at that. "I can't. My people need me."

"Pray tell how can you lead them if you're too tired to stand? I'll protect your capital. You have my word."

"I'm fine, Washington."

He hummed quietly, hands folding once more behind his back. You stood taller, as if to prove yourself to him. His gaze drifted lower. "Your legs are shaking."

"Your point?"

He sighed. "Alright, I won't tell you how to handle yourself. I've said my peace. Anything you wish to discuss while I'm here?"

"No."

"Very well then."

He started toward the door, only to pause when you called him back. "Washington?"

"Hm?"

"Thank you."

"Of course."

And he was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

You watched Washington's men as they marched past your boarders, twenty units armed with guns standing alongside your six armed with swords. It wouldn't be hard for them to turn on you. And yet you did nothing, only waited, secluded to your capital. The day dragged on, eerie and still, like the calm before the storm. You kept checking the reports, but no word came from either power one way or the other.

The sun was just starting to set when the army made its move.

Men on horseback with arrows attacked from afar while Caesar's gunmen raced in to clash with Washington's own. Your knights did their best, but against a flurry of bullets, they soon fell. The two remaining fleets were reasonably well matched once the archers were dealt with.

A report came in. Washington officially declared war on Caesar.

You heard the roar of the siren crying out in the distance, felt the rumble of the ground, saw the plume of fire reaching up into the sky. Silence on the battlefield. The gunmen fled. Despite the fact you'd been unable to defend your on country, you found a satisfied smirk crossing your face. It did your heart good to see that smug bastard be put in his place. Even he wouldn't dare to continue this war. He'd call for a peace treaty within the hour, and you could get to rebuilding. Of course, you'd have to send out a new fleet of settlers. Washington might have gone out of his way to protect your capital, but you didn't think he'd give your cities back to you, even if he did manage to get Caesar to cough them up as part of the treaty. The only way to grow was through expansion, he needed that land for his own people as much as you needed it for yours.

Using that same logic...there really was nothing stopping him from taking his chance to overthrow you. Attention shifted back to his units, arms folded over your chest, fingers flexing into your sleeves. They weren't moving. Awaiting further orders. There wasn't a single one of your own men left standing.

Another siren filled the air. You looked up, tensing, watching as a second burst of flames chased away the night. This one didn't come from any of Caesar's cities. It came from Washington's. Return fire. An icy chill stabbed at your heart, the realization dawning on you as another, much louder siren went off. Caesar had nuclear weapons, too. A flurry of activity from below, the gunmen fleeing your city.

This was it. You couldn't withstand a blow like this. Years and years and _years_ of work and struggle flashed through your mind. That first settler rooted in a world that was yet unknown, guided by your hand, generations of human lives spent to further your country, and this was where it ended. They entrusted you with their future, their decedents, their everything, and you failed them. You closed your eyes, turned away from the window, waiting for the explosion.

The door to your office opened, a unit flooding into the room.

"What are you doing?" you demanded, opening your eyes to glare at them. A step back put you against the cool glass, with nowhere to go as they approached.

"Following orders," one of them replied gruffly, hand wrapping around your arm, first tugging, then pulling, dragging you along with him. Another grabbed at your other side.

"Unhand me! This is-this is against protocol! Hey!"

They ignored your protests. As they led you out of the capital, you caught a few lingering units escorting citizens out of their homes, each of them making their way toward the boarder. Your people looked to you the moment they realized you were there. For their sake, you stopped struggling, put on a mask of indifference, and walked with your back straight, shoulders squared.

As if this was all a part of the plan.

You forced yourself not to look back, even as the capital you'd founded over two thousand years ago came down in a hellish inferno.

The men led you and your citizens over into Washington's territory, past a hoard of military units. You could tell just by looking that this wasn't the city Caesar bombed. Not a single unit was damaged, and the center looked untouched. They let you go once you were inside, and you stood before your people. You stood before them, and words failed you. Hand raised, you gave a dry cough, taking in a deep breath to steady yourself.

"The important thing is to stay calm." you started, only for one of them to cut you off.

"Stay calm? We're prisoners!"

"...stay calm. It's an order."

"Screw you, look where your orders got us!"

A tremor ran up your back, but you kept yourself still. "As you wish."

You turned from them before you could lose yourself. Mustn't lash out at them. They're just scared. Quiet murmurs, words they didn't bother to hide. Were they going to be taken as Washington's men? Were they going to be forced to further his cause? Was he going to kill them?

Was he going to kill you?

It was customary. When a country fell, the leader was executed without question. To hold them prisoner for all eternity was cruel, and to let them go free all but guaranteed their later return with thirst for vengeance. This, Washington's act of saving you and your people both...it was against every rule that existed since the very first years time itself existed.

The other countries would demand your head. Not all of them, perhaps. Some were indeed the peace seekers they claimed to be. But a handful of war ready cities turning on Washington at once?

He'd be an idiot not to kill you himself.

One of his men approached. "Our leader would like to call you in for a meeting."

"Of course."

Without looking back a the citizens that stared after you, you followed the guard to the meeting room.

He was waiting for you when you got there. "First of all," he said, "I would like to extend my condolences. I would have evacuated you sooner if I'd known he had access to the atomic bomb as well."

You stared at him, expression guarded. "I hope you understand that the political backlash from your actions is going to be severe?"

"I assure you I've thought things through quite thoroughly."

"Then what are you going to do now?"

"Defend my people from Caesar. What else?"

"And what of my people?"

"Guests. All of you. Until we reach a time you can go off an rebuild. I'll provide you a settler."

"Are you _sure?_ "

"I'm quite sure." His arms folded over his chest, watching you just as you watched him. "I said I'm not going to let you fall, and I meant it."

You folded your own arms and looked away. "You're putting yourself in danger."

"I know."

The silence was stiff and uncomfortable, and he was the one to break it. He took a step forward, arms lowering, folding instead behind his back. "I'm going to assume you haven't had a moment of sleep since the last time I saw you."

You scoffed. "You're suggesting I sleep after all this?"

"That's exactly what I'm suggesting. You need to rest. There is no reason you shouldn't."

"My citizens are out there planning a revolt, I can't just-"

His voice hardened. "They can't do a thing about it on my territory. They're here, they're safe, and they aren't going to be breaking anything under my watch. Even if they did, it's no concern of yours. Go and rest."

"I am not one of your units to order around."

"No, you're not. You are a leader. I've protected you and your people both. In return, I demand that you stop putting so much strain on yourself and take some time to recover your strength."

"...fine."

"Away from your people. So they can't badger you."

" _Fine._ "

"Good. Come."

"Right now?"

"Right now."

He turned and walked away, pausing at the doorway to make sure you followed. You did, gritting your teeth, doing your best not to curse under your breath. He led you to a bedroom, complete with royal blue blankets and matching pillows. He gave a slight bow before he left, then stationed a guard outside your door. For protection, maybe. Maybe he was just trying to make sure you kept to your word and stayed in there.

For all your complaining, the moment you crawled under the blankets, relief ran through your tired, drained body.

Anger fading with your energy, you curled up on your side, and fell asleep within moments.


	3. Chapter 3

It took a moment for you to remember where you were. Eyes blinking open to take in an unfamiliar room covered in blankets that, though soft and pleasant, felt ever so slightly off against the skin. You let out a huff and pressed a hand to your forehead, the memories of the day before rushing back to the surface. You didn't want to check the reports, but you knew you had to.

Rolling over onto your back, you fished the machine out of your pocket, the screen lighting up bright, making you wince. Napoleon has denounced Washington. Alexander the Great has denounced Washington. Queen Elisabeth has denounced Washington. Caesar has denounced Washington.

Washington has denounced Caesar. You let out a dry laugh at that.

At least Askia was on his side, having denounced Caesar himself. Gandhi hadn't said a thing one way or the other, so you expected he'd be keeping quiet during this whole affair.

You put the machine back in your pocket and got out of bed, stretching until your joints popped. You went to the bathroom and brushed your fingers through your hair until it looked somewhat presentable. Then you washed your face with cold water, dried it off on a nearby towel. The guard glanced at you as you stepped out, but made no move to stop you when you left. He did, however, follow you as you retraced your steps back to the room where your people were. Making sure you didn't stick your nose into anything you shouldn't, despite only having been ordered to keep watch while you slept. You weren't insulted. Indeed, you planned on passing on a good word for his dedication.

Your people were right where you left them, a small crowd of citizens grouped together in the room. To your surprise, they weren't rioting, they weren't discussing plans to escape or overthrow, they weren't even complaining. They were sitting quietly, and all eyes were on Washington, himself seated on a chair that faced the group. He met your gaze, and you raised an eyebrow at him, a twinge of tension in your shoulders. What was he doing...?

But he just smiled, a brief flash of teeth before attention shifted back to your people.

"So, after Genghis Khan took down his third country, I was forced to declare war. Much as I am loath to fight, he had to he dealt with. Of course, this was a long time ago, and unfortunately I was rather...inexperienced. My attack on the man ended in failure, my army near destroyed in the process. The full force of his blood lust and thirst for power hovered over me for over two hundred years. Three generations of my country who knew little else outside of war, who could do nothing more than defend their capital against a larger and stronger army. I was using all of my resources just to keep going. There was no chance of growth and no chance of peace."

Ah. You remembered this story. Although why he was bothering to tell it eluded you. Still. You moved to sit next to one of your citizens, back straight and hands folded in your lap, ignoring the way the human next to you shifted around with nervous energy.

"We were locked in a stalemate. Neither of us could overpower the other. I attempted to enlist the help of other countries, but at the time I had nothing to provide them in return. Needless to say, I wasn't getting any help. At the very least, I was lucky enough that Genghis Khan himself didn't have any friends at the time, otherwise they would have been able to overpower me with ease. And then, at once, two other countries declared war on him. One of them was Askia, and the other, of course, was your leader."

"Genghis Khan was bent on destroying everyone around him," you put in, "He'd have taken over every piece of land on this planet if he'd gotten the chance. The leader was ruthless and merciless. If he'd been allowed to continue as he was, there wouldn't be half as many countries thriving today."

"Indeed." Washington nodded. "It was because of the two of them the war was able to end."

"Askia took his capital. I took several cities, though. The land had quite a few resources I never had before. Iron, gems, and furs. I annexed them." You let distaste slip into your words, "He razed the capital and built his own city in it's place."

"Not my first choice." He agreed. "But it's his land."

You huffed, raised a hand to brush through your hair. "We had a few boarder disputes after. My territory was right next to his own. It never got bad enough to start another war, but we weren't exactly close after that. He complained about a mine of gold for years, as if I'd stolen it from him rather than earned it."

"And I spent the next several years rebuilding, and several more after that getting my army in order. I swore to myself I'd never come so close to defeat again. Which is why you'll see so many units around my cities today. With power comes responsibility, though. I have to keep myself in check, can't go declaring war over ever little thing, least I loose myself and become another Genghis Khan."

One of your citizens spoke up, "Is that why you weren't mad about the city-state?"

"Precisely. It wasn't worth fighting over."

A wry smile crossed your face. "You have that city-state back, I assume?"

"Of course. Couldn't let it go unprotected, could I?"

"I wouldn't expect you to."

Washington kept talking, going on about battles of the past, bringing back memories of the early years and all the countries fallen in your wake. Nostalgia seeped in as you threw your own comments in, giving your side of the story when it involved incidents concerning your country.

Attila the Hun was gone. Bismarck was gone. Catherine was gone. A pity, too. You'd been fond of her.

You found yourself starting to relax, enjoying the conversation, leaning back on the couch as you and Washington exchanged words.

A unit stepped in to announce that one of his cities was under attack.

He excused himself and slipped out, and with a glance at your citizens, you stood to follow. No one protested this as you moved with him into the next room, pulling out your device as he pulled out his own. You moved your finger along the map, locating the city in question. According to the report, several units had already passed his boarders.

"He's going to use nuclear weapons if he gets pissed enough." You remarked, coming to stand at Washington's side. A soft brush of fabric, pressure against your shoulder as he leaned against you. You glanced down, but didn't bring attention to the contact.

"He'll use them just because he's bored." Washington said.

He sent out orders for the musket men to defend as the archers took their places, several horsemen darting forward to meet the opposing army. With the touch of a finger, he sent out the order for the city, as well as two others close by, to ready their nuclear weapons.


	4. Chapter 4

The sirens cut through the air, a wail to signal the destruction to come as the bombs flew toward their target. You watched them crash into one of Washington's cities, heard an irritated huff come from the man at your side as he returned fire. Neither man had attacked the other's capital directly, not yet. Easier to pick off surrounding cities, after all, then attack when there was no defense. From what you'd seen, the two civilizations were evenly matched. If it remained a one on one fight, you couldn't see either of them successfully destroying the other.

This wasn't a reassuring thought. Given the fact that most everyone denounced him for protecting you, it wouldn't take much to get the others to launch their own attacks. You watched the screen, silent as the battle went on, listening to Washington as he murmured to himself under his breath. Neither of you were in the best of situations, and the both of you knew it.

His shoulder rested against yours, the pressure light, a simple means of reassurance that you weren't sure you appreciated or not. You weren't one of his human civilians who needed his guidance at every given turn. You were a leader, and despite your position, you were not weak. It was an offence that he thought you needed to be taken care of. At the same time, you couldn't deny the calming effect that came from the weight and the warmth of him as he leaned into you.

"How are your gold reserves holding out?" you asked.

"Why do you need to know?"

He didn't look up from his screen, fingers hovering over one of his cities, waiting for the chance to arm the weapon anew.

"It's possible you could send others after Caesar. Upset with you or not, they might still be willing to step in to help if the price is right."

"...it is possible. Though not the best of ideas. If I spend all my reserves on paying others to fight, I won't have anything left to give should they decide to declare war on me, too. I need to be able to get them off my back if they interfere. If I ask anyone for assistance, it'd be Askia, but that would definitely prompt Caesar to request help from others himself. We don't need a world war on our hands."

He touched the screen, armed the weapon, and fired when it was ready.

The sirens rang out once again. You flinched, raising a hand to rub at one of your ears. The noises were starting to hurt after a good several hours of listening to them. Nuclear weapons might be powerful, but crap, they were loud. You wouldn't be surprised if the citizens started suffering hearing loss if this kept up. He didn't comment on your discomfort. You caught him glancing at you, but he didn't comment. Good. He'd only get away with shoving you into a bedroom so many times. Besides, this fight involved you, and you weren't about to leave it and just trust him to do all the work.

Another lull in activity as he waited for the weapons to cool down so he could set them up again. Units had long since been abandoned, neither leader seeming to see much point in a confrontation of military.

Caesar sent a message, asking for a meeting. Washington sighed and accepted, responding with a time. Three hours from then.

"...he's going to be unreasonable." you commented.

"Of course he is. I'm not handing you over, nor will I harm you myself, and I don't think he's going to accept that. But who knows? Maybe he'll surprise us?"

"If only anything was that easy."

"Mmm."

A moment passed. Neither of you moved.

"...thank you. For all this." you said, looking away.

"I'm only happy to work with you."

He hesitated. You felt it, a small shift, then a pause. Then he wrapped an arm around your shoulders. You bristled, a low noise burning at the back of your throat in warning. With a single step, you broke away, turning to shoot him a glare.

He seemed unphased. Slipping the device back into his pocket, he folded both hands behind his back, looking at you with a calm, even expression.

"What was that about?" you demanded, half snarling.

"I assure you, it was not meant as a dominance play."

"Then what was it?"

"A friendly gesture. It's something citizens do. "

"...why?"

He shrugged. "It depends on the citizen. From what I can tell, there's a variety of reasons, such as-"

"Why are you emulating them?"

"Is there a reason I shouldn't?"

"You aren't one of them. You're a leader." You folded your arms. "How can they know to follow you if you're no different then they are?"

"Forgive me, but if I don't know anything about them, then how can I call myself a good leader? It's because I make an effort to understand how they feel that they should follow me. I can care for them properly, keep them happy. Moreover, they know they can come to me with any issue because they know I'm not just an immortal figure that looks down on them and sees a bunch of tools."

"How dare you?"

"I say again, forgive me."

You looked away, teeth clenched. "Fine. I take no offense. But watch yourself, Washington."

"I understand."

Another silence. This one tense, uncomfortable. He was the one to break it. Taking another step away from you, he turned toward the door, "I need to prepare for the meeting. I suggest you abstain, but I won't stop you if you wish to attend."

"Wait." He paused, glanced back at you. Taking a slow breath, you walked up to him, and rather pointedly put your arm around his shoulders. His overcoat was soft and smooth against your skin, his hair tickled your arm as it brushed against you. Contact was brief, you held it for about two seconds before pulling away. "Just remember to warn me next time you feel the need to mimic the people you rule."

He smiled at that. "Of course."

With that, the two of you parted company. Time to get ready to talk to the enemy. 

Fun. 


End file.
